This invention relates to earrings, and more particularly to an earring having a post with a push on clutch.
A number of different configurations for post-type earrings have been described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,170,I18, granted Oct. 9, 1979; U.S. Pat. No. 4,236,385, granted Dec. 2, 1980; U.S. Pat. No. 4,245,484, granted Jan. 20, 1981 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,299,101, granted Nov. 10, 1981, all of which are in the name of Alvin Block. In the Block configurations, a threaded post is provided for insertion in a passage through the earlobe of a wearer and an axial pushtype of clutch is attached to the protruding threaded end of the post to secure the earring in place. Block states that the clutch may be disengaged from the post only by rotating the clutch (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,236,385, Column 2, lines 40-41).
While such arrangements are generally and often satisfactory, it has been found that as a result of the softness of materials used in jewelry, the fingers of the clutch which are intended to engage the post and thereby hold the ornament on a wearer's ear may break off, may become worn over a period of time or simply lose resilience and become too loose to provide the necessary secure engagement to avoid inadvertent loss of the ornament. It is therefore all too often the case that a wearer may discover that a clutch has worked itself loose and the ornament portion of the earring is lost.